There’s no denying Manchester United have been the best club of the Premier League era. The Red Devils won thirteen league titles between 1993 and 2013, all under the greatest manager of all-time, Sir Alex Ferguson.
Not all of Sir Alex Ferguson’s signings worked out. We took a look at the likes of William Pruiner, Eric Djemba-Djemba, Dong Fangzhuo and Bebe, but the Scot was also responsible for great signings like Roy Keane, Eric Cantona and Cristiano Ronaldo.
While dominating English football, Ferguson’s sides also won the Champions League twice (1999 & 2008).
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Manchester Evening News have named the best players United have had in the past 28 years and put them into a 25-man squad.
Goalkeepers: Peter Schmeichel, David de Gea, Sergio Romero
Romero is without doubt the best second choice goalkeeper United have ever had, but no way does he deserve a mention over Edwin van Der Sar. Everyone talks about Schmeichel, De Gea and Van der Sar as the three greatest goalkeepers to play for United.
Defenders: Gary Neville, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jaap Stam, Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Jonny Johnsen, Denis Irwin, Patrice Evra, John O’Shea
Gary Neville is the best right-back of the Premier League era.
It may seem a bit early to include Wan-Bissaka, but we’ve had a lot of dire players at right-back in recent years and he’s been excellent this season. Still only 22.
Fergie admits it was a mistake to let Stam go the way he did. A cracking defender, proper United centre-back!
Vidic and Ferdinand formed the best centre-back pairing in Europe as United won the Champions League. This is the best defensive partnership the Premier League has seen.
Johnson and Irwin are two treble winners, the former gave at least 8/10 every week he played. Mr. Consistency.
Sheasy! Marching up the wing etc etc. The epitome of a utility player and a brilliant one at that.
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Midfielders: David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Roy Keane, Ryan Giggs, Andrei Kanchelskis, Nicky Butt, Owen Hargreaves, Michael Carrick
Beckham doesn’t get the appreciation he deserves. During this period of self-isolation, with the coronavirus outbreak, I’ve been watching loads of classic games and you’d almost forget how brilliant he was! As a child I adored Becks.
Scholes, Keane and Carrick belong to a list that contains the very best central midfielders to play in England.
The most decorated player in Premier League history requires no explanation.
Kanchelskis was the ultimate old skool winger.
Treble winner Nicky Butt faced Bayern Munich on that incredible night in Barcelona. Brilliant club servant and Hargreaves wasn’t too bad either before he made the desperate switch to Man City.
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Eric Cantona, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Ronaldo is the best player I have seen in a United shirt. It was immense watching him arrive and grow into the best player in the world. Remember how frustrating he was at times? 😅
Along with Ronaldo, we got to watch another incredible talent blossom. Rooney is United’s all-time top goalscorer after surpassing the legendary Sir Bobby Charlton.
The King came, he kicked a racist, he conquered.
Van Nistelrooy was a top goalscorer too, it was a shame how he left under the grey cloud. At least his relationship with Fergie picked up years later.
The gaffer was renowned as the Baby-faced Assassin. He changed games from the bench and was a model professional both on and off the pitch. Nowadays he is working hard to bring the glory days back to Old Trafford.
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